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Politics portal. Kurt Josef Waldheim ( German: [ˈkʰʊɐ̯t ˈvalthaɪm] ⓘ; 21 December 1918 – 14 June 2007) was an Austrian politician and diplomat. Waldheim was the secretary-general of the United Nations from 1972 to 1981 and president of Austria from 1986 to 1992. While he was running for the latter office in the 1986 election, the ...
Aug 8, 2024 · Kurt Waldheim (born December 21, 1918, Sankt Andrä-Wördern, Austria—died June 14, 2007, Vienna) was an Austrian diplomat and statesman who served two terms as the fourth secretary-general of the United Nations (UN), from 1972 to 1981. He was the elected president of Austria from 1986 to 1992. Waldheim’s father, a Czech by ethnic origin ...
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Jun 15, 2007 · Kurt Waldheim was born on Dec. 21, 1918, in St. Andrä-Wördern, a village near Vienna. His father, Walter, the son of an impoverished blacksmith, became the local school superintendent and ...
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Jun 15, 2007 · Kurt Waldheim was born in a village outside Vienna on Dec. 21, 1918, the eldest son of a conservative Roman Catholic school inspector. Despite his humble beginnings, Waldheim was able to pursue ...
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After graduation in 1936 Waldheim entered the University of Vienna and studied law and diplomacy. In 1938, three weeks after Adolph Hitler annexed Austria, Waldheim joined the Nazi student union, and later that year he joined the mounted unit of the Nazis' notorious paramilitary force, the Sturm-Abteilung (S.A.) or "brown-shirts." It was a membersh...
After the war, Austria was considered a victim of a Nazi invasion, and Austrians' complicity in Nazi war crimes was generally overlooked. Talented and ambitious, Waldheim advanced rapidly in politics. Late in 1945, he took a job in the Foreign Ministry and became involved in negotiations for an end to the Allied occupation. He became secretary to t...
In 1972, Waldheim took over from U Thant of Burma as secretary general of the United Nations. His polished diplomacy and studied neutrality appealed to both the Soviet Union and the United States. During his eight years as UN leader, he promoted the ideals of world peace, justice, and human rights. With many new Third World nations gaining admissio...
In 1986, Waldheim campaigned for president of Austria as the candidate of the conservative People's party, seeking to end 16 years of Socialist rule. During the campaign, the World Jewish Congress and an Austrian news magazine produced documents revealing Waldheim's Nazi past. Waldheim insisted he had joined the Nazi groups only because he wanted t...
Much autobiographical material is included in Kurt Waldheim, The Challenge of Peace (1980), while his The Austrian Example (1973) cites the neutral role of his own country as a blueprint for world stability and international exchange. Building the Future Order (1981) contains a synthesis of Waldheim's key reports and speeches between 1972 and 1980....
Kurt Waldheim was an Austrian diplomat and politician who served as UN secretary general and president of Austria. He faced a scandal over his Nazi past and war crimes during his presidential campaign in 1986.
Kurt Waldheim was appointed Secretary-General of the United Nations for a five-year term beginning on 1 January 1972. The Security Council had recommended the appointment on 21 December 1971 and ...
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Jun 14, 2007 · Kurt Waldheim, the former United Nations secretary general and president of Austria whose hidden complicity in Nazi war crimes was exposed late in his career, died Thursday in Vienna, Austrian ...
